Karnıyarık (Stuffed Eggplant with Ground Beef)

Karnıyarık means split belly, and it is the dinner Turks actually eat on weeknights: eggplants slit open, fried or roasted, then stuffed with ground beef, onion, tomato, and green pepper and baked until everything melts together. It shares a plate with rice pilaf and often a dollop of yogurt. Where imam bayıldı is the elegant vegetarian cousin, karnıyarık is the hearty meat-and-vegetable main. Every home cook has a favorite version, and arguments about whether to fry or roast the eggplant are endless.

Eggplant boats brimming with beef

The eggplant turns creamy and sweet in the oven, soaking up the tomatoey beef filling, while the tops stay slightly chewy and charred from the initial frying. A spoonful of the meat mixture with a bite of eggplant and rice is the definition of Turkish home cooking. Salt the eggplants first to draw out bitterness, and let the dish rest a few minutes before serving so the juices settle. Leftovers are even better, so it is a good candidate for making a day ahead.

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